Police-related items policy

Policy overview

With some exceptions, we generally don't allow listings for law enforcement badges or official law enforcement equipment from any public entity. This includes badges issued by the government of any country. This rule also applies to police badges and official equipment from federal, state, or local law enforcement agencies in the US.

Make sure your listing follows these guidelines. If it doesn't, it may be removed, and you may be subject to a range of other actions, including restrictions of your buying and selling privileges and suspension of your account.

What are the guidelines?

Badges and identification

Allowed

Fake, novelty, or clearly unofficial badges such as plastic or cartoon badges

School safety patrol badges

Not allowed

Badges from any federal, state or local law enforcement agencies, including historical badges that may resemble a current issue badge

Badges issued by foreign governments, including international police badges

Badges issued by private security companies

Badge patches

Credential cases

Identification cards or credentials for members of law enforcement

Mini TSA badges

Movie prop badges

Quasi-law enforcement badges such as fire department badges

Reproductions of current law enforcement badges, including fake badges that look like current issue police badges – for example, an X-Files FBI badge

Special event badges like inauguration badges

Emergency vehicles, lighting, and sirens

Allowed

Antique emergency lighting or sirens

Aviation beacon lights for aircrafts

Emergency lighting for toy or model cars (no color restriction)

Industrial or security system emergency lighting

Siren speakers

Show car lighting (undercarriage) or Knight Rider-style kits

Restricted

Actual decommissioned emergency vehicles that don't have current decals or prohibited lighting. Be sure to list these items in the appropriate eBay Motors category.

Emergency light bars that offer only amber or clear lenses

Emergency light bars that offer only amber or clear LEDs

Decals for toy or model cars, though the listing has to include a picture of these items that show scale

Not allowed

Fully operational emergency vehicles with lights, sirens, and so on

Lighting for emergency vehicles

Listings for emergency lighting systems that have black and white or stock images

Red, green, or blue lenses used for emergency vehicle lights

Red, green, or blue LEDs for emergency vehicles

Siren controls or amplifiers for emergency vehicles

Specific law enforcement decals

Uniforms

Allowed

Novelty hats or shirts even if they say "Police," "Sherriff," or "SWAT""

Police uniform accessories that are not department issued items (such as cuff links, name plates, ranks, tie clips, and so on)

Some Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) items are allowed, with the exception of the items listed in the Not allowed section below.

Thin Blue Line police items

Not allowed

The following Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) items aren't allowed to be listed because they pose a risk to the safety of police officers:

Car window shields or decals

Emblems or frames for license plates

Tear gas

Traffic light control devices such as a Mobile Infrared Transmitter (MIRT)

Why does eBay have this policy?

eBay, along with federal, state, and international law enforcement organizations, are concerned that people may use a badge or other police-related item to misrepresent themselves as law enforcement officers. To help avoid these situations, we don't allow certain police-related items to be listed on eBay.

Additionally, state and federal laws prohibit unauthorized individuals from having a law enforcement badge. To learn more about laws prohibiting the manufacture, sale, and possession of law enforcement badges, see U.S. Code Title 18 Section 701.

Before listing a police-related item, be sure to follow our guidelines above.

Contact Customer Service

You can contact Customer Service to report a listing you think violates this policy. Go to that listing, and then click the Report item link on the right side of the page.

We'll review your report and take appropriate action.

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